In parashat Eikev, the Torah speaks about the benefits and consequences of living a life of Torah and mitzvot. One fascinating detail is the way Moshe Rabbeinu refers to “כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה” — the commandment — in the singular, rather than the expected plural form:
(דברים ח:א)
All Mitzvot as One
Unified System
The Ramban and others explain that “כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה” in the singular emphasizes that the mitzvot form one integrated, inseparable system.
The Torah is not a menu from which one can select a few favorite commandments
and consider oneself fulfilled.
They draw on the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah
18:21) which teaches that the 248
positive mitzvot and 365 prohibitions correspond to the 248 limbs and 365
sinews of the human body. If one finger is broken, the whole body is
affected. Likewise, if one mitzvah is missing, the entire spiritual structure
is impaired:
"אִם חִסֵּר אֵחָד
מֵאֵבָרָיו — נִפְגָּם כֻּלּו"
This is a demanding — even daunting —
interpretation. It means that partial
observance misses the Torah’s goal. The mitzvot are designed to work
together as a whole; only by fulfilling all of them does one achieve “כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה,” the one great commandment in its entirety.
The Infinite Value of One
Mitzvah
The Kli Yakar and Rashba reverse the focus entirely. They read “כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה”
as meaning that even a single mitzvah contains within it
the value of the whole. Every mitzvah is a direct connection to the Ribono
Shel Olam.
The Mishnah teaches:
"רצה הקדוש
ברוך הוא לזכות את ישראל לפיכך הרבה להם תורה ומצוות"
(מכות ג:טז)
The Rashba explains: this is not to burden us, but to multiply
opportunities. Even if a person does just one mitzvah with pure intent (לשמה), from
beginning to end, it has infinite significance.That single achievable goal of
doing one mitzvah and once there, often
brings you to do many more. This is
exactly the Kli Yakar’s point: even one
mitzvah is worth worlds.
Two Paragraphs of Shema:
Maximum and Minimum
This interplay between “all” and “one” appears again in our parashah, in the second paragraph of Shema. The first paragraph (דברים ו:ד–ט) is written in the singular, addressed to the individual:
"וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ
וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶךָ"
This is the maximum ideal — serving Hashem with total love, unconditionally,
with no mention of reward or punishment. It is pure, selfless devotion, as
exemplified by Rabbi Akiva, who gave his life על קידוש השם.
The second paragraph (דברים יא:יג–כא), found in Parashat Eikev, shifts to the plural, addressing the
nation:
"וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁמֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ... וְנָתַתִּי מְטַר־אַרְצְכֶם בְּעִתּו"
Here mitzvah observance is tied to tangible rewards — rain, produce, security,
and long life for us and our children. This is the realistic framework for
a community: the motivation of blessing alongside the responsibility of
obedience. The first paragraph presents the aspirational summit; the second
provides the practical, accessible baseline.
Living Between the
Minimum and the Maximum
The Torah thus sets two guiding poles:
●
Aim for the maximum —
see the mitzvot as one complete system, serve with unconditional love, and
aspire to total observance.
●
Value the minimum —
recognize that even one mitzvah done purely connects you to Hashem in an
eternal way.
Both poles are essential. Without the
maximum, we lack vision; without the minimum, we lose accessibility.
May we merit to live with both אהבה and יראה, to integrate all mitzvot as one whole,
and to treasure even a single act of connection to our Creator.
